Reading Music -- practical help?

["Jp Pagan" <coquiblues@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

howdy,

well, i for one believe in the benefits of reading music. i'm not afraid it 
will turn me into a soulless automaton and i certainly don't think that just 
because i'm a harp player i should do like the old joke says and "forget the 
changes man, just blow!"

in fact, last night i had my first session with other musicians, guys i 
don't know. the one thing they all had in common is they could read the 
charts. not me. nobody thought that was a problem because, as the lowly 
primitive harmonica player, it's cool if i just wing it, but i for one would 
have liked to know what was going on without having to ask the guitar or 
piano player to bang out the head for me a couple of times before we start 
(everyone else just knew it -- it's on the chart, dummy!).

that said... can anyone recommend a book or CDs or video that will teach me 
music theory, how to read the staffs, and what the charts mean? (by charts i 
mean like ones with just the chords, without the melody notes, and, in one 
case, there was a regular-looking staff, but instead of notes on it there 
were numbers where the notes would be. i didn't understand that at all!). 
while it isn't something i desperately need to learn right now, i figure 
there's no time like the present.

help much appreciated,

              --J






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